


Engagement Reactions

by smittenwithsugden



Series: Tumblr Prompts [12]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-24 00:51:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8349745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smittenwithsugden/pseuds/smittenwithsugden
Summary: A lot of different reactions to Aaron and Robert's engagement





	1. Chrissie

**Author's Note:**

> This was prompted by a lot of people on tumblr for me. 
> 
> I decided to do a multi-chapter and you can vote in the comment what reaction you want to see in the next chapter.

Chrissie had it with this day. The adventure park didn’t get as much visitors as she would have liked and now she had to spend more on marketing. The decisions had not been easy and now all she wanted was a glass of red and some peace and quiet.

She entered the pub and was glad to see hardly any people there. Chas was behind the bar, a couple of people she didn’t know were sitting at a table and Robert and Aaron were at the bar.

Hm, he was out of the hospital then apparently. She immediately decided not to sit at the bar then, just to order and get to a table in the corner where hopefully nobody would bother her.

“Cheers,” Chas greeted her. Aaron and Robert didn’t even seem to notice her. Good. Whatever.

“Hello, a glass of your finest red, please,” she ordered. 

“On the house today,” Chas said and Aaron looked up at that.

“Mom, no,” he shook his head.

Chrissie furrowed her brows and shook her head.

“I am able to pay, thank you very much,” she said, with a bit of annoyance in her voice, and put down a bill on the bar.

“Right,” Chas said and Chrissie saw the look she gave Aaron.

She looked to him, wondering why he even interfered when she, not on purpose, looked at his left hand on the bar. He saw and drew his hand back quickly but she already saw. A ring.

Her head shot up and for the first time she looked at Robert. He looked cocky, proud of himself, challenging her with his look to say something.

She bit down the first nasty comment that was popping in her head.

Robert grinned, this smug, maddening grin of his, that so clearly said: ‘See, I won, I got what I wanted. And you?’

And even though she didn’t want to she took the bait. She took the few steps to Aaron and Robert, eyes fixed on Aaron and said: “Good luck. You’re gonna need it with this one. Call me in sixth months, I can recommend a good divorce lawyer.”

Aaron bit his lip, clearly uncomfortable, but not really bothered by what she said, just that it was Chrissie who said it to him.

To Chrissie’s surprise it was Chas who spoke up.

“Listen, Chrissie,” she said with a snide to her voice, “this is a warning. If you ever come in here and talk like this to my family again, and by that I mean either of them, you are gonna have to find another pub to drink your wine in. Understood?”

Chrissie’s eyes widened, she never suspected Chas to defend Robert.

She couldn’t even come up with a proper response, so she just shook her head and left the pub.


	2. Cain

It was the morning after the accident. Chas was sitting on the kitchen table, sipping her tea. She wanted to go back to the hospital, but she had to open the bar in an hour. 

The door opened and Cain rushed in.

“I just got your message. How is he?” he asked immediately.

“Alive,” Chas said. “Out of danger.”

“Good,” Cain said letting out a breath of relief. “So you are driving back up there?”

“Not yet,” Chas said. “I need to open the bar. But Robert is with him, so I am not too worried. I’ll drive up with Liv later on.”

“I’ll go visit him now,” Cain said, “so Sugden can go home.”

Chas laughed. “If you get him to leave his side I’ll be surprised.”

Cain shook his head. “What is it with this boy? I really don’t see what he sees in him? Well, maybe he’ll come to his senses one of these days.”

Chas shook her head and couldn’t help but smile softly. “I really don’t think so.”

Cain looked at her and furrowed his brows. “What happened?”

“They got engaged yesterday,” Chas cut right to the point.

“What?” Cain said, voice already rising. “Well, that is utter bull. That must be the shock or his injuries. He cannot be serious! He is Robert flaming Sugden! He is trouble! Big time! I’ll drive up there right now and talk some sense into him!”

Chas watched him go and was too tired to hold him back. She knew neither Aaron nor Robert would change his mind because of Cain.

\--

Cain rushed to the hospital, asking his way through to Aaron’s room.

He was all ready to blaze in there and tell Aaron that this was a bad idea, that he could do way better, that he did not need to agree to this, just because they were in an accident together.

He reached the door, saw that it was opened a bit and wanted to go in, but the tone of Aaron’s voice stopped him.

“You went back in for the ring? Are you completely out of your mind?” he asked, but his voice was soft, full of admiration and a bit of worry.

“You know me,” Robert answered, “I don’t like to waste money, you know how expensive these rings are?”

Cain huffed, typical. But he heard Aaron laugh softly.

“Careful there, you might sound like a romantic.”

For a few seconds, there was nothing and then he heard Robert again.

“I couldn’t sit around here and do nothing, I felt so useless. And I was so… worried, so I just sprang into action. And you have to admit, it really is the perfect ring for you.”

“Yeah,” Aaron answered, “thank you.”

Cain heard what could only be a kiss and had the urge to back off and go, but then he heard Aaron again.

“Did you get checked over, you are still in these wet clothes, you need to get dry and checked and eat something.”

“I am not leaving,” Robert said firmly.

“Robert, please, just go…”

“Don’t,” Robert interrupted him. “Save your breath, because I am not going. I am not leaving your side, so stop it.”

Cain didn’t know why or where it came from, but all of a sudden he had a warm feeling. He knew ever since the trial that Robert was good for Aaron when he needed to be, but he had always thought that he would get bored sooner or later, that he would leave him heartbroken and for the rest of them to pick up the pieces.

But now, now it looked like he did not need to worry about that anymore.

He knocked at the door and stepped in.

They both looked up and Robert immediately stood up from his chair, but not making any moves to leave.

“Hi,” Cain said. “I only just heard from Chas. How are you?”

“All right,” Aaron said, “Out of the woods at least.”

Cain nodded, he swallowed, his eyes went down to Aaron’s hand and he could feel them both stiffening, preparing for his outburst probably.

But Cain just looked at Aaron and smiled.

“Congratulations,” he said and then to Robert. “You, too. You better not screw this up, or else…”

“I know, I know,” Robert said quickly.

“We better get the welly ready for you then, hm?” Cain said and he saw how relieved Aaron looked.

“Well,” Robert said, “according to Moira I don’t have to when I’ve let a Dingle seen me naked, so…”

“Enough,” Cain said. “Don’t ruin it.”


	3. Paddy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please vote in the comment what reaction you want to see next

It was the day after the crash. Paddy had just heard that Aaron had been involved as well and was on his way to see him.

He got the room number from Chas and entered after a short knock.

He saw Robert sitting by his bedside, holding his left hand, but when Aaron saw Paddy he quickly pulled his hand back and hid it under the covers.

“In my own time,” he whispered to Robert and he stood up.

“I leave you two to it,” Robert said. He smiled at Aaron, a warm, soft smile, but didn’t even look at Paddy before he left the room.

“Hiya,” Aaron said, “How is your arm?”

“It’s good,” Paddy said. “But how are you? I wish I’d known, I would have been here.”

He walked over to the bed and smoothed down Aaron’s cover before sitting down.

“Been better,” he answered, “but also been worse.”

“Silver lining,” Paddy said and Aaron smiled.

“So how is Rhona?” Aaron asked. “And Pierce?”

“Both okay,” Paddy said. “Rhona scared us there for a minute, but she pulled through. She is tough, like you.”

Aaron nodded. “Good,” he said and scratched his chin with his left hand, not thinking about it.

“What’s that?” Paddy asked, gesturing to his hand.

“What?” he said, looked at it and realized his mistake. 

“Oh that,” Aaron said sheepishly. “I got engaged.”

He looked shy, but he was also beaming. Paddy didn’t notice it. He shook his head disapprovingly.

“Asked me for his blessing, that little rat, now I get it,” he mumbled to himself.

“What?” Aaron asked.

“Nothing,” Paddy said, scratching his head. “That is… that’s…”

“Oh, come on,” Aaron said. “You can’t even pretend to be happy for me?”

Paddy sighed and then shook his head.

“No, sorry. Aaron, I need to say this. He is not gonna make you happy. He is gonna get bored or something else will catch his attention or there is some money to be made somewhere else or whatever else and he is gonna put you second, like he always put you second.”

Aaron pressed his lips together, his left hand clenching to a fist, feeling the ring dig in his skin made him relax his hand again.

“No,” he said firmly. “That’s over.”

“Because he manipulated you into believing that,” Paddy said. 

“No,” Aaron said even more stern now.

“He’ll break your heart,” Paddy tried again.

“He /fixed/ it!” Aaron retorted. “You listen to me now. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here right now. And I am not just talking about the crash. Gosh, I can’t even count the times he saved my life anymore. And he saves my life every single day. I know, you have every reason not to trust him and I am not asking you to. But what I am asking you is to trust me! He makes me happy, Paddy. “

Paddy sighed.

“Aaron, son, I do want you to be happy and I trust you. But how can you expect me to not say anything when I think you are making a mistake?”

Aaron bit his lip and closed his eyes for a second.

“You remember,” he said, his voice softer now, “When you told me I would fall in love someday? How it starts and how it would make me feel? That my heart skips a beat when he enters the room? I thought you were such a softy for talking like that. But I get it now.” 

“Well,” Paddy said, clearing his hoarse sounding voice, “I didn’t mean…”

“You didn’t mean a man you don’t approve of? I mean, I get that not many people understand it, me and Robert, but he is that person for me. He always was. It never stopped. No matter what happened. No matter what will happen. He is it for me. And I thought of all people, you would understand how much it means to me to have found that.”

Paddy swallowed hard, wiping away some tears. He stood up from his chair.

“I do. I do understand it. And please believe me, that all I want is for you to be happy. But you can’t blame me for looking out for you.”

“I don’t,” Aaron said. “Just…. don’t ever try to talk him down to me again…. I wish you could see how amazing he is, I get that you don’t, but just… leave me out of it.”

“Okay, all right,” Paddy said and managed to half hug Aaron in his hospital bed.

Paddy went for the door but stopped and turned around before leaving.

“Congratulations, son.”


	4. Diane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please vote in the comment what reaction you want to see next

“Have you put the kettle on?” Robert asked.

Aaron laughed. “Yeah, I already put the kettle on the first time you asked me. Why are you so nervous?”

“Because…I don’t know,” Robert said and rearranged the cookies on the table. 

“It’s Diane,” Aaron said. “She is gonna be happy and hug you and everything will be fine.”

“I know…. I just…. it’s different than with all the others,” Robert said.

Up until now they had only told people about the engagement who were more on Aaron’s side of the family and friends. Which was logical, because Robert’s people were pretty much just Vic and Diane.

“I can deal with your lot thinking I’m not good enough for you, but Diane….” Robert said with a sigh.

“Hey,” Aaron said while he poured the hot water over the tea bags. “I am sure she won’t think that.”

Before Robert could answer there was a knock at the door.

“3 o’clock on the dot,” Aaron said with a grin and said louder: “Come on in.”

Diane entered with a smile.

“Hi, boys, thank you so much for the invitation.” She looked to Aaron who was just setting the tea on the table. “How are you feeling, love?”

“I’m good, thanks, almost fully recovered,” he said.

“He is meant to rest, no heavy lifting, no sports, no work,” Robert added. “You can imagine how well that is working out.”

“Well, I think the doctor did not mean that you have to carry my clothes to the bathroom for me,” Aaron said with an eyeroll.

Diane just smiled at that. “I see you have the best caregiver here with you.”

Aaron grinned and Robert shook his head while they sat down. Robert poured everyone some tea and Diane grabbed a cookie.

“So tell me, pets, to what do I owe this pleasure of an invitation?” Diane asked.

Aaron and Robert shared a look and Robert cleared his throat.

“Well, the thing is, we invited you to tell you that I…. well, we... we are engaged,” Robert got out.

“Oh, pet,” Diane set and stood up immediately to give Robert a big hug. 

“Congratulations,” she said and moved on to hug Aaron.

Robert was beaming and Aaron looked at him with an ‘I told you so’ look, but then Diane spoke again.

“Jack would have been so happy to see you like this,” and Robert’s face fell. It was only a second but Aaron saw.

“Well, unfortunately we’ll never know,” Robert managed to get out.

There was a moment of awkward silence until Diane filled it again.

“So how did you propose? Was it romantic?” she asked.

Aaron grinned and Robert shook his head.

“He sort of shouted it at me in the car,” Aaron said.

“You were doing my head in,” Robert countered.

Diana laughed. “Oh, pet, but that does sound like it fits you two.”

Aaron laughed, because she couldn’t have been more right.

After a bit of chit chat and wedding talk Aaron’s alarm went off.

“I have to go take my meds,” he said, “will be right back.”

He got up and left, thinking it was not the worst thing to leave these two to themselves for a bit.

Diane looked at Robert and patted his hand.

“You look very happy,” Diane said.

“I am,” Robert said immediately.

“And this is it now?” she asked, not sounding judgmental, but concerned. “I mean this time last year you were still married to Chrissie. You are not rushing into this, are you?”

Robert bit his lip. It was not easy for him to talk about this, about his feelings.

“I’ve been in love with him for almost two years now, I just needed longer to figure it out. This feels like the rightest thing I ever did.”

Diane looked at him, studied his face and then broke into a smile.

“Sounds like you finally figured it out, pet, I’m proud of you.”


	5. The Dingles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, guys. Last reaction. I hope you liked the little tour I took.

„There he is! “ Chas exclaimed as soon as Robert entered the pub. 

“How is our boy Aaron?” Zak asked.

“Good, better,” Robert said, a bit confused as he walked up to the bar and realized the pub and especially the bar was full of Dingles. Chas behind the bar, Lisa, Zak, Cain and Sam sitting at it, Marlon peeking out from the kitchen.

Chas put a pint in front of him and smiled widely.

“Okay, you are freaking me out a little bit, what is going on?” Robert asked.

“You are getting married, that’s what’s going on,” Chas cheered and Robert looked panicked.

“You told?” he asked with wide eyes and then whispered. “I’m not sure Aaron wanted the whole clan to know just yet.”

The truth was, he wasn’t’ quite ready to face the full force of the Dingles telling him that he wasn’t good enough, that he better watch out or they bury him alive. 

“Congrats,” Sam said and clapped him on the back. “I thought you were going back to Home Farm, what with the talk about you and the other White up there, but yeah, our Aaron is much better.”

Robert coughed and Cain laughed.

“It’s fun, having exes around, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Hilarious,” Robert said and thought about what would be a believable excuse for him to take this pint to the back room.

Zak approached him and sat down on the other side of Robert.

“You know, Sugden, you did mighty well with our boy,” Zak said and Robert was surprised. “I mean it, just now with the crash and back then with the trial. We all saw it.” He nodded to him, padded his shoulder and mumbled. “Welcome to the family, lad.”

Robert was a bit overwhelmed and looked to Chas who was just smiling at him, like she knew he had been worried.

“Okay, then,” Marlon said as he came out of the kitchen. “Who is doing your catering?”

Robert shrugged his shoulder. “I don’t know we haven’t thought about it yet.”

“And are you gonna get married in the church?” Lisa asked.

Robert shrugged his shoulders again. Not, if it was up to him, he thought, but he didn’t say it out loud.

“Are you gonna become a real Dingle, Sugden?” Cain asked. “Or are you stealing Aaron away from us by making him a Sugden?”

“Don’t know,” Robert mumbled, trying to sip his pint.

“Either way it’s gonna be a big smash,” Sam said.

“You let us know if you need any help,” Lisa said and smiled at him.

Robert was kind of at a loss. The past six months the Dingles had done nothing to approach them and he hadn’t really been surprised. If he were them he would have waited for him to screw up, too. But now it seemed like they accepted him, just like that, and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

10 Minutes later Robert had his second pint and he was discussing different venues with Lisa and Chas. Zak and Sam seemed to be talking to Cain about what Aaron should wear and it looked like Cain couldn’t be bothered.

The pub door opened and Robert heard Lawrence before he saw him.

“This looks like a Dingle party,” he said and it was clear that he wanted to leave again.

“We have empty tables,” Chas said with raised eyebrows.

“Oh, Robert, didn’t see you there,” he said, “you fit right in, hm?”

It was obvious that it was meant as an insult, but Robert sat up straighter, raised his eyebrows and said. “Do I? Thank you.”

Lisa and Zak beamed at the same time, but Lawrence shook his head and now talked to them all.

“You gonna regret the day you let him into your family, believe me, I do,” he said. 

Robert swallowed hard. He wanted to bite back, wanted to fight and be cruel, but he didn’t, because he knew he had a point and he knew the Dingles knew, too.

“Well,” Chas said. “Your family doesn’t have an Aaron. Sometimes it is just about finding the right person.”

“Believe what you like,” Lawrence said, “people like him don’t change, not really. He’s gonna screw up, one way or another.”

Zak and Cain stood up simultaneously.

“If he does,” Cain started. “We’ll deal with it together, as a family,” Zak finished.

Lawrence shook his head and looked at Robert.

Robert smiled, wide and proud and shrugged his shoulders at Lawrence.

He scoffed and left.

Robert turned around to the Dingles.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely and for the first time he thought he may have found a family beyond Aaron and Liv.


End file.
